| By the middle or the end of the 18th | | | | could have different colors. |
| century crossing in horsebreeding became | | | | On January 1, 1978, 2058 horses, |
| a fashion. At the very start of the | | | | including 21 approved stallions, were |
| Studbook, on May 1st 1879, (the first | | | | registered in the Studbook. The Studbook |
| studbook in the Netherlands) opinions | | | | Society had 1193 members and 281 |
| differed whether only horses of the | | | | contributors besides, all told 1474 |
| Friesian Race should be registered, or | | | | names. A third part of these live |
| crossbreds as well. The problem was | | | | outside Friesland. The number of |
| solved by opening two registration | | | | Friesian horses kept in the Netherlands |
| books: Book A for Friesian horses, and | | | | is minimal when compared with the total |
| Book B for crossbreds, From 1884 till | | | | number of horses registered in the |
| 1896 the Studbook was also open for the | | | | sixteen studbooks (8 for horses and 8 |
| registration of horses from the adjacent | | | | for ponies) approved by the Dutch |
| provinces Groningen and Drente. For this | | | | Government. In 1976 these studbooks had |
| reason the name “Friesian horse” was | | | | 51,390 members in all, the Friesian |
| temporarily changed into “Inland | | | | Studbook 1404. In the same year out of a |
| horse”. By 1896, however, Friesian | | | | total of 45,542 matings only 715 were of |
| horses had nearly disappeared in those | | | | Friesian horses. The good qualities of |
| provinces: in Groningen altogether, in | | | | Friesian horses promote the extension of |
| Drente a few years later. | | | | the breed. |
| The fashion of crossing grew to such an | | | | There are seven Breeding Associations, |
| extent that the decision was taken in | | | | each with its own board and members. |
| 1907 to close the separate books A and B | | | | Four of these are found in Friesland: |
| and to register all the horses in one | | | | one in the West, one in the East, one in |
| book in future. | | | | the middle and one in the Southern part. |
| This could have been the end of the | | | | In the province of Gelderland there is |
| Friesian horse. However, in 1913 a tiny | | | | one for the center of the Netherlands, |
| group of true lovers of the Friesian | | | | and there is one in the province of |
| horse started the society “The | | | | North Holland. Groningen and Drente |
| Friesian Horse” (“Het Friesche | | | | together have one Breeding Association. |
| Paard”). This society worked in close | | | | The aim of a Breeding Association is to |
| cooperation with the studbook and | | | | strengthen the ties between the breeders |
| succeeded in keeping and improving the | | | | of Friesian horses and to promote |
| Friesian horse. They bought good | | | | breeding, and to exchange experiences |
| Friesian colts and they gave awards for | | | | and ideas. In the shows of the |
| good types of horses. In 1914 the | | | | Associations prizes and championships |
| Studbook decided, at the request of the | | | | can be obtained. |
| Society, to open two registration books | | | | There is one Rural Riding Association |
| again in 1915: Book A for Friesian | | | | which has used Friesian horses |
| horses and Book B now for “Upland | | | | exclusively since 1947. It is called |
| horses” (“Bovenlandse paarden”). | | | | “De 0orsprong” (“The 0rigin”) |
| In 1939, when the number of Friesian | | | | after the stud (1880 till 1930) of the |
| horses had increased considerably, the | | | | late Jhr Mr C. van Eysinga at Huis ter |
| Frisians got a board of their own within | | | | Heide near St. Nicolaasga (Fr). |
| the Studbook. Finally, in 1943, the | | | | There is another association, “Het |
| breeders of non-Friesian horses left the | | | | Friese Tuigpaard” (“The Friesian |
| Studbook. Since that year the “Royal | | | | Show Horse”), again with its own |
| Society The Friesian Studbook” (the | | | | members and board, which in accordance |
| designation “Royal” was added in | | | | with the “Nederlandsche Hippische |
| 1954) registers only purebred Friesian | | | | Sportbond” (“Dutch National |
| horses. H.M. Queen Juliana honored the | | | | Organization of Hippic Sports”), |
| Studbook by becoming its Patroness in | | | | arranges the participation in shows of |
| 1949. | | | | Friesian Horses. This Association also |
| A condition for registering a Friesian | | | | arranges games of ringspearing and the |
| horse is that it must be 2 1/2 years | | | | quadrille. In 1977 this game of |
| old. A stallion must then have a height | | | | ringspearing was played in twenty |
| at the withers of at least 1.58 m and at | | | | different towns and villages. In this |
| the age of 4 of 1.60 m (rod measures). | | | | game the lady riding in a Friesian |
| Mares must be 1.50 m, “star” mares | | | | “sjees” and dressed in the |
| 1.55m , “model” mares 1.58m, and | | | | old-fashioned Friesian costume has to |
| geldings 1.50m. | | | | spear rings from between the fingers of |
| In order to be registered a horse has to | | | | a wooden hand with a little stick. The |
| be written into the Foal Book. Only | | | | Association shares its offices with |
| foals with a document proving the mating | | | | those of the Studbook. |
| of the sire and dam are included in this | | | | In 1977 the Board of the Studbook |
| book; moreover, both parents have to be | | | | installed a “Breeding Commission” |
| registered in one of the books of the | | | | with four members only one of whom is |
| Studbook. To be registered a horse may | | | | also a member of the Board. Their |
| have no faults and it must be true to | | | | assignment is to give advice about |
| the type of the Friesian breed. | | | | breeding, with a view to the restricted |
| Examining the mares, the “star” | | | | number of horses of the breed and the |
| mares and geldings for registration | | | | desire and necessity to keep as many |
| takes place at the shows of the Breeding | | | | different bloodlines as possible. The |
| Associations (see below) or at home. | | | | “Contact and Propaganda Commission” |
| During the Major Mare Show, in the | | | | promotes the Friesian horse and arranges |
| autumn, it is possible to have | | | | different shows in close cooperation |
| “model” mares examined for | | | | with the Board of the Studbook. The |
| registration. To obtain this | | | | Foundation “It Fryske Hoars” (“The |
| classification the horse has to be four | | | | Friesian Horse”) tries to collect |
| years old. Since mares of six years and | | | | funds in order to improve the breed and |
| over are no longer shown at the Major | | | | to extend the use of Friesian horses. |
| Mare Show, these mares can be examined | | | | In 1969 Dr. R.H.J.J. Geurts, a medical |
| for the classification as “model” | | | | doctor at Heerlen in the province of |
| mare at the shows of the Breeding | | | | Limburg in the South of the Netherlands, |
| Associations, or at home. They must pass | | | | wrote a doctoral thesis at the |
| a test. | | | | University of Utrecht on the breeding |
| The pre-examination of two year-old | | | | and genealogy of the Friesian horse. In |
| stallions takes place in the autumn. | | | | 1968 he had made a survey of the |
| Only approved stallions can be presented | | | | families of mares of the Studbook. |
| at the Stallion Examination Show for | | | | Dr. J. Hendrikse and Drs. W. van der |
| registration, in spring. They also must | | | | Hoist, of the Clinic of Vetenarian |
| pass a test. | | | | Obstetrics at the University of Utrecht, |
| The Friesian horse nowadays is bred | | | | developed the artificial insemination of |
| exclusively black. The only white | | | | horses in the Netherlands, choosing the |
| allowed is a small white spot between | | | | Friesian breed. Semen of Friesian |
| the eyes. In bygone days Friesian horses | | | | stallions has been frozen. |